Adaptive multimedia delivery via a broadband gateway

ABSTRACT

Aspects of a method and system for adaptive multimedia delivery via a broadband gateway are provided. A broadband gateway may be operable to determine which one or more of a plurality of devices is communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway. Content may be requested from, and/or scheduled to be delivered to, one or more of the devices. The gateway may be operable to select a provider from which to request the content based on results of the determining. The provider may be selected based on a bandwidth of a link between the broadband gateway and the one or more devices to which the content is to be delivered. The gateway may be operable to select one of a plurality of versions of the content based on results of the determining and requesting the selected version of the content from the selected content provider.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This patent application makes reference to, claims priority to andclaims benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/351,696 filed on Jun. 4, 2010.

The above stated application is hereby incorporated herein by referencein its entirety.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application also makes reference to:

-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,231 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,355 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/981,971 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/981,993 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,216 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,433 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,353 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/981,966 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,453 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,172 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,429 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/981,990 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,442 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,000 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,010 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,022 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/981,986 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,236 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,091 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,213 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,166 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,340 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,073 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,501 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,206 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,440 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,171 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,223 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,305 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,477 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,331 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,036 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,196 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,391 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,405 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/981,753 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/982,414 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/981,733 filed on Dec. 30, 2010;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/395,383 filed on Feb. 27, 2009;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/355,537 filed on Jan. 16, 2009;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/355,480 filed on Jan. 16, 2009;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/372,648 filed on Feb. 17, 2009;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/355,413 filed on Jan. 16, 2009;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/355,377 filed on Jan. 16, 2009;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/395,470 filed on Feb. 27, 2009;    and-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/391,009 filed on Feb. 23, 2009;

Each of the above stated applications is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention relate to a broadband gateway. Morespecifically, certain embodiments of the invention relate to a methodand system for adaptive multimedia delivery via a broadband gateway.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the continuous growth of digital television or broadcastmultimedia, and/or broadband access, which may be used in conjunctionwith online businesses, social networks, and/or other online servicesand applications, users may desire having access to a larger number ofproviders and/or a broader range of content in a manner that is flexibleand/or suits the users' lifestyles. Most users connect to the Internetusing web browsers running on personal computers (PCs). Furthermore,most households may have one or more televisions that may be used toview television and/or multimedia broadcasts. Television broadcasts mayinclude terrestrial TV, Cable-Television (CATV), satellite TV and/orInternet Protocol television (IPTV) based broadcasts. To ensure againstunauthorized reception and/or use of TV and/or multimedia broadcast,service providers may require use of dedicated set-top boxes (STBs) thatmay be used to encrypt broadcast signals communicated from the serviceproviders to generate suitable video and/or audio streams that may beplayed via televisions and/or other display/playback devices in thehousehold. Furthermore, STBs and/or TVs may support Internet access.Thus, rather than using a computer to access the Internet, a user mayfind it more convenient to use the flat screen televisions and/ormonitors in homes for the same purpose. To do so, for example, an STBcommunicatively coupled to a flat screen television may be provided withweb browsing software and protocols, and Internet connectivity, whichmay enable the user to easily access the Internet or check theirelectronic mail (email), for example, from a convenient and comfortablelocation such as their living room.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditionalapproaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, throughcomparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention asset forth in the remainder of the present application with reference tothe drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and/or method is provided for adaptive multimedia delivery viaa broadband gateway, substantially as illustrated by and/or described inconnection with at least one of the figures, as set forth morecompletely in the claims.

These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the presentinvention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, willbe more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary communication systemthat comprises a home network serviced by a broadband gateway, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary broadband gateway,in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 3A-3F are diagrams that illustrate various exemplary scenarios ofcontent being delivered via a broadband gateway, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps for adaptivemultimedia delivery via a broadband gateway, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5A is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps for selecting aprovider of content to optimize bandwidth usage, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5B is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps for selecting aversion of content to optimize bandwidth usage, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and systemfor adaptive multimedia delivery via a broadband gateway. A broadbandgateway may be operable to determine which one or more of a plurality ofdevices are communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway. Contentmay be requested from, and/or scheduled to be delivered to, one or moreof the plurality of communicatively coupled devices. The gateway may beoperable to select a provider from which to request the content based onresults of the determination. The provider may be selected from aplurality of content and/or service providers, which may include one ormore network access service providers. The gateway may be operable tohandle at least one physical layer connection to at least onecorresponding network access service provider. The at least one physicallayer connection may comprise a plurality of physical layer connectionsand the at least one corresponding network access service provider maycomprise a plurality of corresponding network access service providers.Different ones of the plurality of providers may be communicativelycoupled to the broadband gateway via different ones of the plurality ofphysical layer connections. The provider may be selected based on abandwidth of a link between the broadband gateway and the one or moredevices to which the content is to be delivered. The provider may alsobe selected based on a display resolution of the one or more devices towhich the content is to be delivered.

The gateway may be operable to select one of a plurality of versions ofthe content based on results of the determining and requesting theselected version of the content from the selected provider. Each of theplurality of versions of the content may require different bandwidth tobe communicated from the selected provider to the broadband gateway. Ininstances that the content comprises video, the video may be ofdifferent resolution for each of the plurality of versions of thecontent. The determining may be performed occasionally and/orperiodically at times leading up to a time at which the content isscheduled to be delivered. The determining may be performed just priorto a time at which the content is scheduled to be delivered.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary communication systemthat comprises a home network serviced by a broadband gateway, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1,there is shown a home network 100 a, a plurality of distributionnetworks 110, a plurality of service providers 120, and a plurality ofcontent providers 130. The home network 100A may be serviced by abroadband gateway 102. Also shown in FIG. 1 are additional home networks100 b, . . . , 100 n, an emergency services provider network 140, and anetwork of a power grid management entity 142. Each of the home networks100 b, . . . , 100 n may also be serviced by a broadband gateway 102.

The service providers 120 may comprise various entities which mayprovide various services to the devices 104 via the gateway 102 and/orto the gateway 102 itself. Some of the service providers 120 maycomprise network access service providers which provide physical layerconnections to the gateway 102. Such physical layer connections may thenbe utilized to access, and/or may be part of, one or more of thedistribution networks 110. In this regard, “network access serviceprovider” as utilized herein, is distinguished from the more genericterm “service provider” which may encompass services other thanproviding physical layer access to a network. Cable televisionproviders, plain old telephone service (POTS) providers, digitalsubscriber line (DSL) providers, cellular providers, WiMAX providers,and satellite providers are examples of network access serviceproviders.

The content providers 130 may generate, capture, and/or package content,such as multimedia content, that may be distributed to end-users. Thecontent may comprise, for example, audio, video, e-book, gaming, and/orother content. The content may be, for example, downloadable and/orstreaming, rented and/or purchased. In some instances, a contentprovider and a service provider may be separate. In some instances, asingle provider may provide both content and services. For example, anentity that functions as a network access service provider may alsoprovide content and/or services other than network access and, thus,that entity may also be accurately referred to as a “content provider”and/or a “service provider.” Content and/or services that are providedby a content provider 130 and/or a service provider 120 may be providedto the gateway 102 via a physical layer connection provided by a networkaccess service provider 120.

The plurality of distribution networks 110 may comprise one or morenetworks that may be operable to enable wireless, optical, and/or wiredcommunication among a plurality of entities based on one or morenetworking and/or communication infrastructures. In this regard, theplurality of distribution networks 110 may be utilized to enabledistributing multimedia content generated by the content providers 130,directly and/or via the service providers 120, to end-users. The networkconnectivity available via the plurality of distribution networks 110may be based on one or more communication standards and/or protocols.The plurality of distribution networks 110 may comprise, for example,the Internet 110 a, a CATV network 110 b, a satellite television (TV)network 110 c, a wireless local area network/wide area network (LAN/WAN)110 d, and/or a cellular network 110 e.

The Internet 110 a may comprise a system of interconnected networks toenable exchange of data between a plurality of nodes, based on one ormore networking standards, including, for example, the Internet Protocol(IP). For example, the Internet 110 a may enable connectivity among aplurality of private and public, academic, business, and/or governmentnodes and/or networks. The physical connectivity may be provided in theInternet 110 a via, for example, the Public Switched Telephone Network(PSTN), copper wires, fiber-optic cables, wireless interfaces, and/orother protocols and/or standards-based interfaces. The transportfunctionality may be performed in the Internet 110 a based on, forexample, one or more protocols, such as the Transmission ControlProtocol/IP (TCP/IP), for example. The CATV network 110 b may comprisesuitable distribution nodes, systems, and/or subnetworks that may enableforwarding of communication between CATV providers and a plurality ofcable-TV consumers. For example, the CATV network 110 b may comprise anetwork of fiber optics and/or coaxial cables for use in CATVbroadcasts. The satellite TV network 110 c may comprise suitabledistribution nodes, systems, and/or subnetworks that may enablecommunication of satellite TV broadcast by satellite TV providers to aplurality of consumers. For example, the satellite network 110 c maycomprise a plurality of orbiting satellite nodes and/or one or moreterrestrial centers in a satellite-TV system.

The LAN/WAN network 110 d may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to enable implementation ofone or more wired and/or wireless LAN or WAN standards and/or protocols.Exemplary WAN technologies comprise, for example, WiMAX-based networks.Exemplary LAN technologies may comprise, for example, those based onIEEE 802.11 standards, including, for example, WiFi-based networks. Thecellular network 110 e may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that may be operable to enable communication viaone or more cellular technologies. Exemplary cellular technologies maycomprise Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA),CDMA1000, High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), Global System forMobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Services (GPRS),Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE), and/or Universal MobileTelecommunication System (UMTS). The cellular network 110 e maycomprise, for example, a plurality of control and/or switching nodes,and a plurality of base stations that enable transmission and/orreception of cellular based communications between the cellular network110 e and cellular capable devices.

The home network 100 a may correspond to a location that may comprise aplurality of devices 104 which may be serviced and/or managed by thebroadband gateway 102. In this regard, the location may be a residence(e.g., home, apartment), a small business, a school, a library, and/orother like settings in which users may want to obtain access to serviceand/or to content provider networks. The broadband gateway 102 may beutilized in the home network 100 a to provide connectivity between thehome network 100 a and the service providers 120 (and/or the contentproviders 130) via the distribution networks 110.

The broadband gateway 102 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to provide connectivitybetween one or more devices in a home network, such as the home network100 a, and a plurality of external networks. For example, the broadbandgateway 102 may handle a plurality of broadband physical layerconnections 108 to the distribution networks 110. The broadband physicallayer connections 108 may comprise wired, optical, and/or wirelessconnections between the broadband gateway 102 and the distributionnetworks 110. The broadband gateway 102 may operate as an interfacedevice that may allow one or more service and/or content providers tointeract with various devices in the home network. In this regard, thebroadband gateway 102 may be operable to perform and/or provide variousservices that may pertain to enabling and/or facilitating reception ofcontent from one or more content providers, wherein the content may bedelivered through one or more services providers. For example, thebroadband gateway 102 may be operable to perform such operations asnetwork access related processing (e.g., PHY/MAC, transport layerprocessing), encryption and/or decryption, user and/or accountauthentication, and/or at least some of video and/or audio processingoperations that may be needed for consumption of multimedia content. Thebroadband gateway 102 may communicate with various devices in the homenetwork 100, using wired and/or wireless communication links.

A single gateway 102 may be operable to handle multiple physical layer(i.e., layer 1 of the open-systems interconnection model (OSI))connections 108 to multiple ones, or portions, of the distributionnetworks 110, where different ones or portions of the distributionnetwork(s) 110 are owned, operated, leased, or otherwise associated withdifferent network access service providers 120. For example, a firstnetwork access service provider 120 may provide network access to thegateway 102 via a DSL connection over twisted-pair cabling, and a secondnetwork access service provider 120 may provide network access to thegateway 102 via a cable television connection over coaxial cabling. Insome instances, the gateway 102 may be operable to concurrentlycommunicate over multiple physical layer connections 108 provided bymultiple network access service providers 120.

The broadband gateway 102 may also be operable to provide and/or supportvarious other, non-content related services in the home network 100. Forexample, the broadband gateway 102 may be operable to provide energymanagement in the home network 100 a, by controlling and/or adjustingconfiguration of one or more devices in the home network to reduce powerconsumption for example.

Devices serviced by, and/or communicatively coupled with the broadbandgateway 102 may comprise content consuming devices and/or other,non-content consuming household or home devices that may be operable tointeract with the broadband gateway 102. For example, the broadbandgateway 102 may service, and/or may communicate with a plurality of homedevices 104 a-104 m in the home network 100 a. The devices 104 a-104 mmay each be referred to as a communication device or an electronicdevice. The home devices may comprise, for example, one or more of atelevision 104 a, a laptop computer 104 b, a smoke detector, a carbonmonoxide detector, and/or a security alarm 104 c, a computer and/orserver 104 d, a mobile phone 104 e, a speaker 104 f, an AM/FM radio 104g, a phone 104 h, an appliance 104 i (e.g., refrigerator), a digitalvideo recorder (DVR) or personal video recorder (PVR) 104 j, athermostat or other environmental control(s) 104 k, a power strip 104 l,and lighting systems and/or controls 104 m. The broadband gateway 102may interact with each of the home devices 104 a-104 m via links 106a-106 m, which may be supported by the broadband gateway 102 and thecorresponding home device. For example, the link 106 a between thebroadband gateway 102 and the television 104 a may comprise aHigh-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable. The link 106 b maycomprise, for example, a wired Ethernet link, a wireless Ethernet link,a Universal Serial Bus (USB) link, or an IEEE 1394 link. The link 106 cmay comprise, for example, a two-wire link or a wireless link. The link106 d may comprise, for example, a wired Ethernet link, a wirelessEthernet link, a USB link, or an IEEE 1394 link. The link 106 e maycomprise, for example, a wireless Ethernet link, a USB link, or acellular link. The link 106 f may comprise speaker wire and/or awireless link. The link 106 g may comprise, for example, AM and/or FMradio transmissions broadcast received using the broadband gateway 102.The link 106 h may comprise, for example, a phone line. The link 106 imay comprise, for example, a wired or wireless Ethernet link. The link106 j may comprise, for example, a wired or a wireless link. The link106 k may comprise, for example, a wired or wireless link. The link 106m may comprise, for example, a wired or wireless link.

The power strip 104 l may comprise one or more outlets and may compriseone or more plugs or other means of connecting to a power supply, suchas a wall outlet. The power strip 104 l may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to measureand/or monitor energy consumed via one or more of its outlets, enableand disable consumption of power via one or more of its outlets, and/orlimit current drawn via one or more if its outlets. The power strip 104l may be operable to communicate energy measurements via the link 106 l.Also, enabling, disabling, limiting, or otherwise controlling powerconsumed via one or more outlets of the power strip 104 l may beperformed in response to messages received via the link 106 l. The link106 l may comprise a wired or wireless link. The power strip 106 l maybe operable to communicate with the gateway 102 utilizing power linecommunication. For example, the gateway 102 may be plugged into anoutlet of the power strip 106 l and communicate with the gateway 102 viathat outlet, or the gateway 102 and the power strip 104 l may each beplugged into a common power distribution system.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a plurality of home networks 100 b, . . . ,100 n, may also be connected to the distribution networks 110. Thesehome networks 100 b, . . . , 100 n may operate in substantially the samemanner as the home network 100 a. By having multiple home networksconnected to the distribution networks 110, various applications, suchas peer-to-peer communication and/or data aggregation operations may bepossible by utilizing the broadband gateways 102 in the home networks.

In operation, the broadband gateway 102 may request content from one ormore providers 120 and/or 130 and deliver the content to one or more ofthe devices 104. The version of the content requested and/or theprovider 120 and/or 130 from which the content is requested may bedetermined based on one or more parameters. Different versions of videocontent may, for example, be of different resolutions and/or becompressed differently. For example, a low-bandwidth version of a videomay be of lower resolution and/or higher compression than acorresponding high-bandwidth version of the video. Different versions ofaudio content may, for example, utilize different bit rates, differentamounts of compression, and/or have different numbers of channels. Forexample, a low-bandwidth version of an audio track may comprise twochannels, left and right, whereas a high-bandwidth version may comprise5 or 7 channels. Exemplary parameters utilized to determine a versionand/or provider of content comprise: bandwidth available in adistribution network 110, user preferences, characteristics of thedevice(s) 104 to which the content is to be delivered, andcharacteristics of the link(s) 106 over which the content is to bedelivered.

User preferences may comprise, for example, a list that ranks thedevices 104 in order of preference for consuming certain types ofcontent. For example, an order of preference for video content maycomprise: the TV 104 a, the laptop 104 b, and the phone 104 e.Accordingly, prior to requesting scheduled video content, the gateway102 may first determine whether it is able to communicate with the TV104. The gateway 102 may be unable to communicate with the TV 104 a ininstances when, for example, the TV 104 a is powered off or disconnectedfrom the gateway 102. If so, the gateway 102 may request ahigher-bandwidth version of the video content and/or request the videocontent from a provider that can deliver a high-bandwidth version. Ifthe gateway 102 is unable to communicate with the TV 104 a, then thegateway 102 may determine whether it is able to communicate with thelaptop 104 b. If so, the gateway 102 may request anintermediate-bandwidth version of the video content and/or request thevideo content from a provider that can deliver an intermediate-bandwidthversion. If the gateway 102 is also unable to communicate with thelaptop 104 a, then the gateway 102 may determine whether it is able tocommunicate with the phone 104 e. If so, the gateway 102 may request alower-bandwidth version of the video content and/or request the videocontent from a provider that can deliver a lower-bandwidth version.

Characteristics of the devices 104 may comprise, for example, displayresolution, battery life, available memory, and/or available processingpower. For example, a higher-bandwidth version of a video may berequested when the destination device is a high-definition television104 a and a lower-bandwidth version of the video may be requested whenthe destination device is a standard-definition television 104 a. Foranother example, a higher-bandwidth version of a video may be requestedwhen the destination device is the laptop 104 b while it is plugged intoa power outlet, and a lower-bandwidth version may be requested when thedestination device is the laptop 104 b while it is running on batterypower.

Characteristics of the link may comprise, for example, the type of linkand the bandwidth supported by the link. For example, a higher-bandwidthversion of content may be requested when the content is to be deliveredover a HDMI link, whereas a lower-bandwidth version of content may bedelivered in instances when the content is to be delivered over awireless link such as a cellular of IEEE 802.11 link.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary broadband gateway,in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2,the broadband gateway 102 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code,and/or interfaces that may be operable to provide connectivity betweenone or more networks, such as the distribution networks 110 shown inFIG. 1, for example, and one or more devices in a home network, such asthe home devices 104 a-104 j in the home network 100 a shown in FIG. 1.In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may operate as an interfacedevice that allows one or more devices in the home network to access oneor more networks, and to access various services and/or content viathose one or more networks. For example, the broadband gateway 102 maybe utilized to enable interaction between the plurality of serviceproviders 120 and/or the plurality of content providers 130, and thehome devices 104 a-104 j.

The broadband gateway 102 may communicate with the various devices via ahome network that may comprise wired, optical, and/or wirelesscommunication links, such as the home network 100 a. In this regard, thebroadband gateway 102 may comprise suitable hardware and/or software toprovide some or all of the functions and/or operations of one or more ofa modem, a router, and a switch. The modem functions and/or operationsmay be those of a digital subscribed line (DSL) modem, a cable modem,and/or a wireless cable modem, for example. The router functions and/oroperations may be those of a wireless router, for example. The switchfunctions and/or operations may be those of a network switch, or a localarea network (LAN) switch, for example. In some instances, the broadbandgateway 102 may communicate with the various devices in the home viamore than one home network.

The broadband gateway 102 may comprise one or more modules. Each ofthese modules may comprise hardware, software, or a combination thereofthat may be utilized to perform various operations associated with thebroadband gateway 102. In an embodiment of the invention, the broadbandgateway 102 may comprise a provider interface module 202, a processormodule 204, a memory module 206, and a client network interface module208. In some instances, the broadband gateway 102 may be such that thevarious modules listed above may be distributed over multiple devices.Moreover, the modules listed above are provided by way of illustrationand not of limitation. Other configurations and/or architectures of thebroadband gateway 102 may also be implemented. For example, thebroadband gateway 102 may be a virtual gateway that is setup in anetwork by utilizing virtual machines (VMs) and/or next-generation (NG)data centers.

The provider interface module 202 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, code, and/or interfaces that may be operable to receive datafrom and/or send data to one or more service/content providers via oneor more physical layer connections 108 to one or more network accessservice providers. In this regard, each of the physical layerconnections 108 ₁-108 _(J) may connect the gateway 110 to a differentnetwork access service provider. Each of the physical layer connections108 may comprise a wired, optical, or wireless connection. Each of thephysical layer connections 108 may utilize different physical mediaand/or different physical layer protocols. For example, the connection108 ₁ may comprise a DSL over twisted-pair connection and the connection108 _(J) may comprise a CATV over coaxial cable connection.

The processor module 204 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code,and/or interfaces that may be operable to process data received from theservice/content providers and/or data received from one or more devices104 in the home. Data from one or more devices 104 may comprise userinput such as feedback regarding consumed content and responses toquestionnaires, surveys, and polls. Data received from theservice/content providers via one or more the physical layer connections108 ₁-108 _(J) may be processed to make it suitable for communication toa device 108 and data from the one or more devices 104 may be processedto make it suitable for communication to the service/content providersvia one or more the physical layer connections 108 ₁-108 _(J). In thisregard, the processor module 124 may comprise one or more portions thatare suitable to handle certain types of data such as video data and/oraudio data, for example. The processor module 204 may also be operableto generate a graphical user interface (GUI) which may be manipulatedvia which a user may provide input. The GUI may be displayed as part ofan OSD on a local device 104, such as a monitor or television, and maybe manipulated via a remote control and/or other input device thatcommunicates directly with the gateway 102. The GUI may be a web-basedinterface, and a user may interact with it via a computer and webbrowser. The GUI may be customized based on characteristics of thegateway 102, the device 104 coupled to the gateway, and the serviceand/or content providers associated with the gateway 102. The processorsmodule 124 may utilize the memory 206 in performing its functions.

The memory module 206 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code,and/or interfaces that may be operable to store data utilized in theoperations of the broadband gateway 102. For example, the memory module206 may be utilized to store configuration data, parameters, deviceinformation, tracking and/or monitoring information, securityinformation, and intermediate processing data, for example. The memorymodule 206 may comprise storage media that may be integrated in thebroadband gateway 102 and/or may be removable such as a removablestorage device.

The client network interface module 208 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, code, and/or interfaces that may be operable to receive datafrom and/or send data to one or more devices in the home network. Theclient network interface module 208 may be operable to support multiplecommunication protocols, standards, and/or data transport technologies.In this regard, the client network interface module 208 may handle oneor more physical layer connections to one or more devices 104. Forexample, the client network interface module 208 may comprise, one ormore wired and/or wireless Ethernet interfaces, one or more analogand/or digital audio outputs, one or more audio/video interfaces such assuch as HDMI and DisplayPort, one or more USB interfaces, one or moreIEEE 1394, and/or one or more telephone jacks.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to provide energy managementby varying the configuration of one or more devices in the home network.The broadband gateway 102 may collect and/or store energy-relatedinformation of the devices in the home network and/or of the links inthe home network, and may utilize such information to control theoperation of the home devices. For example, the broadband gateway 102may utilize channel capacity flexibility and content coding options tominimize and/or optimize power utilization. The broadband gateway 102may also configure and/or manage the configuration of the networkbetween the broadband gateway 102 and one or more service/contentproviders based on the energy-related information associated with thedevices in the home. For example, at least a portion of the distributionnetworks 100 may be configured and/or managed in this manner. Thebroadband gateway 102 may be utilized to display energy-related metrics,including consumption trends and/or costs, for example, and to displayany available credits/rewards that may be redeemed by an account holder.In some instances, when a device in the home network is a certifieddevice, such as a California efficient display, for example, thebroadband gateway 102 may be utilized to provide that information to aservice/content provider and obtain rewards/credits associated with theuse of such certified devices. Moreover, overall network powerconsumption may be managed by sharing information among multipleinterconnected broadband gateways.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to adapt and/or enable changesin a subscription model and/or in multimedia delivery characteristicsbased on the capabilities of the various devices in the home network.For example, high-definition video content may be delivered to certaintype of devices, such as digital televisions (DTVs), whilelow-definition video content and/or text may be delivered to a differenttype of devices, such as personal mobile devices. In this regard, thebroadband gateway 102 may be utilized to reduce bandwidth and/orprocessing power consumption in the home network. The broadband gateway200 may also support and/or use multi-transport processing, which may beperformed sequentially, in parallel, and/or utilizing distributedprocessing.

The gateway functionality associated with a user, such as securityfeatures, preferences, applications, electronic programming guides(EPGs), and user profile, for example, may be ported from the broadbandgateway 102 to one or more other broadband gateways 102 in otherlocations. In some instances, a visitor may be allowed access to theircontent outside their service/content provider service area by, forexample, classifying the access level for different users and/or byproviding limited access to content. Moreover, the broadband gateway 102may allow multiple user interface software structures by, for example,standardizing an interface to service/content providers and devices inthe home network.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to broker and/or arbitratewith service/content providers the consumption of certain services, suchas music and video, for example. In some instances, the broadbandgateway 102 may perform content search, transport discovery, ranking,and/or sorting. These operations may be performed based on contentquality, price, quality-of-service (QOS), and network protocolssupported by the devices in the home network, such as service levelagreements (SLAB), for example.

Various emergency-related services in the home network may be supportedby the broadband gateway 102, including allowing first responders toprovide alerts to a select group of users by accessing the broadbandgateway 102 via secure links provided by the service/content providers.For example, the broadband gateway 102 may enable an emergency serviceprovider, such as those associated with the emergency service providernetwork 140 described above in FIG. 1, to access one or more devices inthe home network.

For peer-to-peer communication, the broadband gateway 102 may beutilized to allow enhanced content sharing in a service/content providernetwork. In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may be utilized toconstruct a directory service for peer-to-peer connectivity with friendsand family, for example. The broadband gateway 102 may be utilized toprovide incentives to users who engage in peer-to-peer communicationthrough, for example, the distribution networks 110. Moreover, thebroadband gateway 102 may be utilized to match the content coding to theservice type being consumed by the user and to make the necessaryallocations through the network with respect to peer-to-peer orconventional Internet programming or broadcast programming.

The broadband gateway 102 may be utilized in connection with constrainednetwork resources, such as time of day, traffic congestion, and thelike, for example, to provide incentives for a user to accept a lowercost, lower quality of service that is dynamically configured forcurrent network conditions. In some instances, the broadband gateway 102may allow enhanced low latency service delivery to client devices in ahome network.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to run or execute an agent toextract content, rating, copyright, language, privacy rules, andautomatically add user-generated content, for example. Such agent may berun or executed in connection with the processor module 204 of thebroadband gateway 102, for example. In some instances, the broadbandgateway 102 may be operable to provide rating-related information orchannel prediction to a service/content provider to assist with fastchannel change.

Bandwidth optimization by, for example, placing future requests forbandwidth to a service/content provider and accepting the best timeslotsprovided in return may be enabled by the broadband gateway 102.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to combine and/or blendmultiple contents for use as single content in the home network. Suchcombination may be performed in one or more of the modules of thebroadband gateway 102. For example, the broadband gateway 102 may blenddifferent video and audio contents for an event by accessing one or moreservice/content providers and providing automatic and/or manual contentsynchronization.

The protection, management, and/or tracking of confidential data, suchas health and financial records, for example, by tagging the data may beprovided by the broadband gateway 102. Only when a user authorizes thetransfer of the confidential data will such data be stored and/oraggregated. The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to create atrusted rating mechanism for content. The broadband gateway 102 may besecure against external threats that may be downloaded from outside thehome network and may provide a secure domain distribution in the homenetwork. Automated and secured billing and payment services may also beprovided by the broadband gateway 102.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to utilize client or homedevice profile information to select layered video service(s) and/ortransmission. Such information may be stored, at least temporarily, inthe memory module 206 of the broadband gateway 102. In some instances,the programming and/or enhanced video layers received by the broadbandgateway 102 may be aggregated midstream by one or more network orrouting nodes.

The broadband gateway 102 may support a reduction in the cost ofunwatched content by using multi-tier billing for downloaded content,such as video content. The broadband gateway 102 may be utilized toprovide a unified payment portal for collecting and/or aggregatingcharges from multiple service and/or content providers.

In operation, prior to requesting content via the provider interfacemodule 202, the processor module 204 may determine whether any devicesfor which the content may be destined are communicatively coupled to, orreachable via, the home network interface module 208. Upon determiningthat a destination device is communicatively coupled to, or reachablevia, the module 208, the processor module 204, utilizing the memorymodule 206 and the interface module 208, may analyze various parameters,such as those described with respect to FIG. 1, to determine a versionof the content to request and/or to determine a provider to request thecontent from. A request for the determined version of the content maythen be sent to the determined provider via the interface module 202.

FIGS. 3A-3F illustrate various exemplary scenarios of content beingdelivered via a broadband gateway, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention.

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, there is shown a provider 130, network(s)110, physical layer connection 108, gateway 102, links 106 _(X) and 106_(Y), higher-bandwidth device 104 _(X), and lower-bandwidth device 104_(Y). The provider 130, network(s) 110, and physical layer connection108 may be as described above. The links 106 _(X) and 106 _(Y) maycorrespond to two of the links 106 ₁-106 _(m) described above. Thedevices 104 _(X) and 104 _(Y) may correspond to two of the devices 104₁-104 _(m) described above. The higher-bandwidth device 104 _(X) maycomprise, for example, a high-resolution display and the lower-bandwidthdevice 104 _(Y) may comprise, for example, a lower-resolution display.The higher-bandwidth link 106 _(X) may comprise, for example, a HDMIlink and the lower-bandwidth link 106 _(Y) may comprise, for example, awireless link.

FIG. 3A is a diagram that illustrates an exemplary scenario in which thegateway 102 determines that content 302 is to be delivered to thehigher-bandwidth device 104 _(X) via the higher-bandwidth link 106 _(X).Accordingly, the gateway 102 requests a higher-bandwidth version of thecontent 302 from the content provider 130. In response to the request,the content may be delivered from the provider 130 to the device 104_(X) via a delivery path comprising the network(s) 110, the physicallayer connection 108, the gateway 102, and the link 106 _(X).

FIG. 3B is a diagram that illustrates an exemplary scenario in which thegateway 102 determines that content 302 is to be delivered to thelower-bandwidth device 104 _(Y) via the lower-bandwidth link 106 _(Y).Accordingly, the gateway 102 requests a lower-bandwidth version of thecontent 302 from the content provider 130. In response to the request,the content may be delivered from the provider 130 to the device 104_(Y) via a delivery path comprising the network(s) 110, the physicallayer connection 108, the gateway 102, and the link 106 _(Y).

Referring to FIGS. 3C and 3D, there is shown providers 130A and 130B,network(s) 110, physical layer connection 108, gateway 102, links 106_(X) and 106 _(Y), higher-bandwidth device 104 _(X), and lower-bandwidthdevice 104 _(Y). The providers 130 a and 130B may each correspond to aprovider 130 described above. The network(s) 110 and physical layerconnection 108 may be as described above. The links 106 _(X) and 106_(Y) may correspond to two of the links 106 ₁-106 _(m) described above.The devices 104 _(X) and 104 _(Y) may correspond to two of the devices104 ₁-104 _(m) described above. The higher-bandwidth device 104 _(X) maycomprise, for example, a high-resolution display and the lower-bandwidthdevice 104 _(Y) may comprise, for example, a lower-resolution display.The higher-bandwidth link 106 _(X) may comprise, for example, a HDMIlink and the lower-bandwidth link 106 _(Y) may comprise, for example, awireless link.

FIG. 3C is a diagram that illustrates an exemplary scenario in which thegateway 102 determines that content 302 is to be delivered to thehigher-bandwidth device 104 _(X) via the higher-bandwidth link 106 _(X).Accordingly, the gateway 102 requests the higher-bandwidth version ofthe content 302 from a content provider 130A that is enabled to providea higher-bandwidth version. In response to the request, the content maybe delivered from the provider 130A to the device 104 _(X) via adelivery path comprising the network(s) 110, the physical layerconnection 108, the gateway 102, and the link 106 _(X).

FIG. 3D is a diagram that illustrates an exemplary scenario in which thegateway 102 determines that content 302 is to be delivered to thelower-bandwidth device 104 _(X) via the lower-bandwidth link 106 _(X).Accordingly, the gateway 102 requests the lower-bandwidth version of thecontent 302 from a content provider 130B that is enabled to provide alower-bandwidth version. In response to the request, the content may bedelivered from the provider 130B to the device 104 _(Y) via a deliverypath comprising the network(s) 110, the physical layer connection 108,the gateway 102, and the link 106 _(Y).

Referring to FIGS. 3E and 3F, there is shown providers 130A and 130B,network(s) 110, physical layer connections 108 ₁ and 108 ₂, gateway 102,links 106 _(X) and 106 _(Y), higher-bandwidth device 104 _(X), andlower-bandwidth device 104 _(Y). The providers 130 a and 130B may eachcorrespond to a provider 130 described above. The network(s) 110 andphysical layer connections 108 ₁ and 108 ₂ may be as described above.The links 106 _(X) and 106 _(Y) may correspond to two of the links 106₁-106 _(m) described above. The devices 104 _(X) and 104 _(Y) maycorrespond to two of the devices 104 ₁-104 _(m) described above. Thehigher-bandwidth device 104 _(X) may comprise, for example, ahigh-resolution display and the lower-bandwidth device 104 _(Y) maycomprise, for example, a lower-resolution display. The higher-bandwidthlink 106 _(X) may comprise, for example, a HDMI link and thelower-bandwidth link 106 _(Y) may comprise, for example, a wirelesslink.

FIG. 3E is a diagram that illustrates an exemplary scenario in which thegateway 102 determines that content 302 is to be delivered to thehigher-bandwidth device 104 _(X) via the higher-bandwidth link 106 _(X).Accordingly, the gateway 102 requests, via a first physical layerconnection 108 ₁, the higher-bandwidth version of the content 302 from acontent provider 130A that is enabled to provide a higher-bandwidthversion. In response to the request, the content may be delivered fromthe provider 130A to the device 104 _(X) via a delivery path comprisingthe network(s) 110, the physical layer connection 108 ₁, the gateway102, and the link 106 _(X).

FIG. 3F is a diagram that illustrates an exemplary scenario in which thegateway 102 determines that content 302 is to be delivered to thelower-bandwidth device 104 _(X) via the lower-bandwidth link 106 _(X).Accordingly, the gateway 102 requests, via a second physical layerconnection 108 ₂, the lower-bandwidth version of the content 302 from acontent provider 130B that is enabled to provide a lower-bandwidthversion. In response to the request, the content may be delivered fromthe provider 130B to the device 104 _(Y) via a delivery path comprisingthe network(s) 110, the physical layer connection 108 ₂, the gateway102, and the link 106 _(Y).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps for adaptivemultimedia delivery via a broadband gateway, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the exemplary stepsbegin with step 402 when a device 104 sends a request for content to thegateway 102. In step 404, the gateway 102 may determine an amount ofbandwidth that is available, optimal, and/or desirable for deliveringthe content from a provider 120 and/or 130 to the gateway 102. Whereoptimal may, for example, refer to a minimal amount of bandwidth thatstill allows for acceptable user experience in consuming the content. Instep 406, the gateway 102 may request a version of the content that canbe delivered in the determined bandwidth and/or request the content froma provider that can deliver the content in the determined bandwidth. Instep 408, the provider may deliver the content to the gateway 102 andthe gateway 102 may deliver the content to the device 104.

FIG. 5A is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps for selecting aprovider of content to optimize bandwidth usage, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5A, the exemplary stepsbegin with step 502 in which the gateway 102 is scheduled to delivercontent to one or more devices 104 at time XX:XX. For example, a usermay, via an electronic programming guide, program the gateway 102 todeliver content to one or more devices 104 at time XX:XX. In anexemplary embodiment of the invention, which device(s) 104 the contentis delivered to may be determined based on user preferences.Additionally, which device(s) 104 the content is delivered to may dependon which devices are communicatively coupled to, or reachable by, thegateway 102 at time XX:XX, as is described with respect to steps 504 and506.

In step 504, at or near time XX:XX, the gateway 102 may determinewhether the device 104 _(X) is available and/or ready to receive thecontent. In instances that the device 104 _(X) is not available and/orready to receive the content (e.g., it is powered off or busy with othertasks), the exemplary steps may advance to step 506.

In step 506, at or near time XX:XX, the gateway 102 may determinewhether the device 104 _(Y) is available and/or ready to receive thecontent. In instances that the device 104 _(Y) is not available and/orready to receive the content, the exemplary steps may advance to step508. The device 104 y may not be available when, for example, it ispowered off or busy with other tasks.

In step 508, with no devices to deliver the content to, the gateway 102may cancel or defer requesting the content. In this manner, bandwidth inthe network(s) 110 and/or resources of the provider(s) 120 and/or 130may be allocated for other tasks rather than delivering content that isnot being consumed at that time.

Returning to step 504, in instances that the device 104 _(X) isavailable and ready to receive the content, the exemplary steps mayadvance to step 510.

Returning to step 506, in instances that the device 104 y is availableand ready to receive the content, the exemplary steps may advance tostep 510.

In step 510, the gateway 102 may select one or more providers from whichto request the content. The provider(s) 120 and/or 130 may be selectedbased on various parameters such as bandwidth, user preferences,characteristics of the destination device(s) 104, and characteristics ofa link 106 over which the gateway 102 will deliver the content to thedestination device(s) 104. Subsequent to step 510, the exemplary stepsmay advance to step 512.

In step 512, the gateway 102 may request the content from the selectedprovider(s) 120 and/or 130. Subsequent to step 512, the exemplary stepsmay advance to step 514.

In step 514, the provider(s) 120 and/or 130 may deliver the content tothe gateway 102 and the gateway 102 may deliver the content to thedestination device(s) 104.

FIG. 5B is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps for selecting aversion of content to optimize bandwidth usage, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. FIG. 5B is largely the same as FIG. 5A butwith steps 520 and 522 replacing steps 510 and 512, respectively, ofFIG. 5A.

In step 520, the gateway 102 may select a version of the content to bedelivered. For example, the gateway 102 may select between differentversions of a video that have different resolution and/or amounts ofcompression. The selection may be based on various parameters such asbandwidth, user preferences, characteristics of the destinationdevice(s) 104, and characteristics of a link 106 over which the gateway102 will deliver the content to the destination device(s) 104.Subsequent to step 520, the exemplary steps may advance to step 522.

In step 522, the gateway 102 may request the selected version of thecontent from a provider 120 and/or 130. Subsequent to step 522, theexemplary steps may advance to step 516.

Various aspects of a method and system for adaptive multimedia deliveryvia a broadband gateway are provided. In an exemplary embodiment of theinvention, a broadband gateway 102 may be operable to determine whichone or more of a plurality of devices 104 is communicatively coupled tothe broadband gateway 102. Content may be requested from, and/orscheduled to be delivered to, one or more of the devices 104 that arecommunicatively coupled to the broadband gateway 102. The gateway 102may be operable to select a provider from which to request the contentbased on results of the determination. The selected provider may beselected from a plurality of providers 120 and/or 130. The contentand/or service providers 120 and/or 130 from which a provider isselected may comprise one or more network access providers. The gateway102 may be operable to handle at least one physical layer connection 108to at least one corresponding network access service provider 120. Theat least one physical layer connection 108 may comprise a plurality ofphysical layer connections 108 ₁-108 _(J) and the at least onecorresponding network access service provider 120 may comprise aplurality of corresponding network access service providers 120.Different one of the plurality of providers 120 and/or 130 from whichthe content is available may be communicatively coupled to the broadbandgateway 102 via different ones of the plurality of physical layerconnections 108 ₁-180 _(J). The provider may be selected based on abandwidth of a link 106 between the broadband gateway 102 and the one ormore devices 104 to which the content is to be delivered. The provider120 and/or 130 may be selected based on a display resolution of the oneor more devices 104 to which the content is to be delivered.

The gateway 102 may be operable to select one of a plurality of versionsof the content based on results of the determining and requesting theselected version of the content from the selected provider 120 and/or130. Each of the plurality of versions of the content may requiredifferent bandwidth to be communicated from the selected provider 120and/or 130 to the broadband gateway. In instances that the contentcomprises video, the video may be of different resolution for each ofthe plurality of versions of the content. The determining may beperformed occasionally and/or periodically at times leading up to a timeat which the content is scheduled to be delivered. The determining maybe performed just prior to a time at which the content is scheduled tobe delivered.

Other embodiments of the invention may provide a non-transitory computerreadable medium and/or storage medium, and/or a non-transitory machinereadable medium and/or storage medium, having stored thereon, a machinecode and/or a computer program having at least one code sectionexecutable by a machine and/or a computer, thereby causing the machineand/or computer to perform the steps as described herein for adaptivemultimedia delivery via a broadband gateway.

Accordingly, the present invention may be realized in hardware,software, or a combination of hardware and software. The presentinvention may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least onecomputer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elementsare spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind ofcomputer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methodsdescribed herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware andsoftware may be a general-purpose computer system with a computerprogram that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computersystem such that it carries out the methods described herein.

The present invention may also be embedded in a computer programproduct, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation ofthe methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer systemis able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the presentcontext means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of aset of instructions intended to cause a system having an informationprocessing capability to perform a particular function either directlyor after either or both of the following: a) conversion to anotherlanguage, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different materialform.

While the present invention has been described with reference to certainembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. In addition, manymodifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material tothe teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope.Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited tothe particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present invention willinclude all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for networking, the method comprising:determining, by a broadband gateway configured to handle at least onephysical layer connection to at least one network access serviceprovider, an order of preference for consuming content of a firstcontent type among a plurality of devices communicatively coupled tosaid broadband gateway, said first content type being one of a pluralityof types of content; determining, by said broadband gateway at a timesaid broadband gateway is scheduled to deliver a first content of saidfirst t e a first device available for consuming said first contentaccording to said order of preference for consuming content of the firstcontent type, a bandwidth of a first link between the broadband gatewayand said first device , and a version of said first content to deliverto said first device according to said bandwidth of said first linkbetween the broadband gateway and said first device, each of theplurality of devices communicatively coupled to said broadband gatewayvia a respective link of a respective bandwidth; selecting, by saidbroadband gateway according to said determined version of said firstcontent and said bandwidth of said first link between said broadbandgateway and said first device, a content provider from which to receivesaid version of said first content, wherein said content provider isenabled to provide said version of said first content to said firstdevice and is selected from among a plurality of content providers; andrequesting said version of said first content from said contentprovider.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least onephysical layer connection comprises a plurality of physical layerconnections and said at least one network access service providercomprises a plurality of access service providers, and wherein each ofsaid plurality of physical layer connections corresponds to a respectiveone of said plurality of access service providers.
 3. The methodaccording to claim 2, wherein different ones of said content providersare communicatively coupled to said broadband gateway via different onesof said plurality of physical layer connections.
 4. The method accordingto claim 1, comprising: determining a type of communications linkbetween said broadband gateway and said first device; and selecting saidcontent provider based further on said determined type of communicationslink, said determined type of communications link comprising one of awired, optical or wireless link.
 5. The method according to claim 1,comprising: determining a communications link characteristic betweensaid broadband gateway and said first device; and determining saidversion of said first content from among a plurality of versions of saidfirst content based at least in part on said communications linkcharacteristic, wherein each of said plurality of versions of said firstcontent requires a different network bandwidth to be communicated from acorresponding content provider to said broadband gateway.
 6. The methodaccording to claim 1, comprising: determining at least one devicecharacteristic among display resolution, battery life, available memory,or available processing power characteristics for said first device; anddetermining said version of said first content from among a plurality ofversions of said first content based at least in part on said at leastone device characteristic.
 7. The method according to claim 1,comprising: determining which one or more of said plurality of devicesare communicatively coupled to said broadband gateway at least one ofaperiodically or periodically at times leading up to a time at whichsaid version of said first content is scheduled to be delivered; anddetermining said version of said first content based further on whichone or more of said plurality of devices are communicatively coupled tosaid broadband gateway.
 8. The method according to claim 1, comprising:determining which one or more of said plurality of devices arecommunicatively coupled to said broadband gateway just prior to a timeat which said version of said first content is scheduled to bedelivered; and determining said version of said first content basedfurther on which one or more of said plurality of devices arecommunicatively coupled to said broadband gateway.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 1, comprising selecting said content provider basedfurther on a bandwidth of a link between said broadband gateway and saidcontent provider.
 10. The method according to claim 1, comprisingselecting said content provider based further on a display resolution ofsaid first device.
 11. A system for networking, the system comprising:at least one processor, circuit, or combination thereof fir use in abroadband gateway operable to handle at least one physical layerconnection to at least one network access service provider, said atleast one processor, circuit, or combination thereof being configuredto: determine an order of preference for consuming content of a firstcontent type among a plurality of devices communicatively coupled tosaid broadband gateway, said first content type being one of a pluralityof types of content; determine, at a time said broadband gateway isscheduled to deliver a first content of said first content type, a firstdevice available for consuming said first content according to saidorder of preference for consuming content of the first content t se, abandwidth of a first link between the broadband gateway and said firstdevice , and a version of said first content to deliver to said firstdevice according to said bandwidth of said first link between saidbroadband gateway and said first device, each of the plurality ofdevices communicatively coupled to said broadband gateway via arespective link of a respective bandwidth; select, according to saiddetermined version of said first content and said bandwidth of saidfirst link between said broadband gateway and said first device, acontent provider from which to receive said version of said firstcontent, wherein said content provider is enabled to provide saidversion of said first content for said first device and is selected fromamong a plurality of content providers; and request said version of saidfirst content from said content provider.
 12. The system according toclaim 11, wherein said at least one physical layer connection comprisesa plurality of physical layer connections and said at least one networkaccess service provider comprises a plurality of access serviceproviders, and wherein each of said plurality of physical layerconnections corresponds to a respective one of said plurality of accessservice providers.
 13. The system according to claim 12, whereindifferent ones of said content providers are communicatively coupled tosaid broadband gateway via different ones of said plurality of physicallayer connections.
 14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said atleast one processor, circuit, or combination thereof is configured to:determine a type of communications link between said broadband gatewayand said first device; and select said content provider based further onsaid determined type of communications link, said determined type ofcommunications link comprising one of a wired, optical or wireless link.15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said at least oneprocessor, circuit, or combination thereof is configured to: determine acommunications link characteristic between said broadband gateway andsaid first device; and determine said version of said first content fromamong a plurality aversions of said first content based at least in parton said communications link characteristic, wherein each of saidplurality of versions of said first content requires a different networkbandwidth to be communicated from a corresponding content provider tosaid broadband gateway.
 16. The system according to claim 11, whereinsaid at least one processor, circuit, or combination thereof isconfigured to: determine at least one device characteristic amongdisplay resolution, battery life, available memory, or availableprocessing power characteristics for said first device; and determinesaid version of said first content from among a plurality of versions ofsaid first content based at least in part on said at least one devicecharacteristic.
 17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said atleast one processor, circuit, or combination thereof is configured to:determine which one or more of said plurality of devices arecommunicatively coupled to said broadband gateway at least one ofaperiodically or periodically at times leading up to a time at whichsaid version of said first content is scheduled to be delivered; anddetermine said version of said first content based further on which oneor more of said plurality of devices are communicatively coupled to saidbroadband gateway.
 18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said atleast one processor, circuit, or combination thereof is configured to:determine which one or more of said plurality of devices arecommunicatively coupled to said broadband gateway just prior to a timeat which said version of said first content is scheduled to bedelivered; and determine said version of said first content basedfurther on which one or more of said plurality of devices arecommunicatively coupled to said broadband gateway.
 19. The systemaccording to claim 11, wherein said at least one processor, circuit, orcombination thereof is configured to select said provider based furtheron a bandwidth of a link between said broadband gateway and said contentprovider.
 20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said at leastone processor, circuit, or combination thereof is configured to selectsaid content provider based further on a display resolution of saidfirst device.
 21. A method for networking, the method comprising:determining, by a broadband gateway, an order of preference forconsuming content of a first content type among a plurality of devicescommunicatively coupled to said broadband gateway based on devicecharacteristics of said plurality of devices, said first content typebeing one of a plurality of types of content; determining , by saidbroadband gateway at a time said broadband gateway is scheduled todeliver a first content of said first content type, a first deviceavailable for consuming said first content according to said order ofpreference for consuming content of the first content type, a bandwidthof a first link between the broadband gateway and said first device, anda version of said first content to deliver to said first deviceaccording to said bandwidth of said first link between the broadbandgateway and said first device. each of the plurality of devicescommunicatively coupled to said broadband gateway via a respective linkof a respective bandwidth; selecting, by said broadband gatewayaccording to said determined version of said first content and saidbandwidth of said first link between said broadband gateway and saidfirst device, a content provider enabled to provide said version of saidfirst content for said first device, from among a plurality of contentproviders from which to receive content; and requesting said version ofsaid first content from said content provider.
 22. The method accordingto claim 21, comprising: determining a communications linkcharacteristic between said broadband gateway and said first device; andselecting said content provider based further on said communicationslink characteristic.
 23. The method according to claim 21, comprising:determining at least one device characteristic among display resolution,battery life, available memory, or available processing powercharacteristics for said first device; and selecting said contentprovider based further on said at least one device characteristic.